Författare: Linda Maria Vestman

Vegan Ginger Bread Sugar Cookies

Publicerat av

”Christmas (noun) = The only time of the year one can sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of socks.”   It was December – the month of early sunsets, soft pillows, big sweaters, warm tea and long talks beside the fire. Snow flakes were soundlessly falling down from heaven, filling hearts with desire. Magic. No one could hear it, but everyone could feel it. They believed it. Life didn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. They knew life was for deep kisses, late night conversations, strange adventures, midnight walks, spreading kindness and enjoying the little things like freshly baked cookies. Lights were brighter, snow was whiter, sweaters were bigger, books were thicker, kissing was nicer, hearts were closer, people were softer. It was December – the month when the nights were crisp, and all they were wishing for was peace.    (Update: Oups, I noticed I forgot to write sugar in the recipe. I used approx. 1.5 dl coconut sugar.) ❤ Linda

How To Have A Mindful Christmas

Publicerat av

”Don’t live to please others. Above all please yourself, and the world will be pleased by your genuineness.”   With less than one week until Christmas I decided to continue with the Christmas theme. Christmas is the most magical time of the year. Nevertheless, it’s easily a busy and stressful time. This year, when you’re buried in to-do’s try to remember to be more present, more mindful. A study by Oxford University shows that ‘being mindful not only reduces stress but also gently builds an inner strength so that future stressors have less impact on our happiness and physical well-being.’ So more sitting in front of the Christmas tree sipping on hot chocolate, and less worrying about all the things that needs to be done. Nothing needs to be done, except from spending time with loved ones. How to have a mindful Christmas   First thing in the morning; make yourself a nice cup of coffee and sit in stillness for 15 minutes with the Christmas lights on, preferably in front of the Christmas tree. A …

Christmas Holiday Bucket List

Publicerat av

‘Holiyays’   Outside the world is covered in darkness and snow. Soft snowflakes dancing from a midnight sky overflowing with christmas lights, twinkling in all their brilliance. A cold, crisp breeze and suddenly everyone around you is blushing red. Your heart a burning flame filled with fireworks and Christmas wishes. You place the big carrot on Mr. Snowman’s face and wonder if; You will be walking in the air, floating in the moonlit sky while the people far below are sleeping as you fly. And in that moment you start to see the beauty within the darkness, because without it you wouldn’t be able to reach for the stars.   Christmas Holiday Bucket List; Drink hot chocolate Go on a Christmas tree hunt Bake gingerbread cookies Decorate the Christmas tree Snuggle on the coach Do a random act of kindness Drink glue wine Write a letter to Santa Make epic plans for 2018 Play in the snow Read books Wake up early and enjoy the coffee in silence in front of the Christmas tree Watch Christmas …

A basic plant-based nutrition guide

Publicerat av

I made a basic vitamin & mineral guide in order to make it a little easier to fully thrive on a plant-based diet. There’re certain vitamins & minerals you need to watch when following a plant-based diet. Make sure you’re getting enough of Vitamin D, B12, Iron and Calcium. Two important nutrients that aren’t included in the guide are Zink and Omega-3 fatty acids. Include a variety of zinc-rich foods throughout the day, such as whole grains, tofu, tempeh, miso, legumes, nuts and seeds. In order to get an adequate amount of omega-3 fatty acids make sure your diet includes flaxseed oil, walnuts, olive oil or hemp oil.   Click the link below to download the guide. Eat the rainbow   /Linda

5 things I love about my home country

Publicerat av

  It’s Finland’s birthday today. 100 years of independence ❤ Congratulations my dear home country. I might not be there right now, celebrating with you. However, you have a sacred place in my heart, not only today, but everyday. Hooray, hooray, hooray!   5 things I love about Finland   The nature; Land of a thousand lakes. Beautiful, green forests and untouched landscapes – Finland is pure, fresh and clean. Breathing in the peacefulness, the crisp air from the Baltic Sea and the sweet taste of nature’s candy. The wildlife provide habitat to the world’s rarest seal, the Saimaa ringed seal, brown bears and thousand of other wild animals and birds. Finland’s nature calms down the soul ❤ Midnight Sun; It’s magical, and it’s filled with pure heart and light. These calm summer nights turning peacefully into dawning day; feeding us with energy. ”June is for waking up early. For staying up late. The Midnight Sun screaming for attention. June is for restless nights. June is for magic. Young and green. June is for miracles. For feeling alive. …

Plant-based diet & iron

Publicerat av

How to get enough iron on a plant-based diet? Iron is an essential mineral and is needed for many of the body’s functions. It’s needed to make proteins, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin. Hemoglobin in the red blood cells carries oxygen from our lungs to our tissues, and myoglobin helps supply oxygen to our muscles. Since your body can’t produce iron itself, you need to make sure you consume sufficient amounts of iron as part of a daily, balanced diet. There’re a few factors that affect the amount of iron your body can absorb from your diet. The number one factor is your body’s need for iron; More is absorbed when your body is short of iron, and less is absorbed when your stores are full. There are two types of iron in foods; Haem iron = Iron from animal sources Non-haem iron = Iron from plant-based sources The body absorbs haem iron more efficiently than non-haem iron. Therefore, people following a vegan or plant-based diet need almost twice as much dietary iron each day compared to omnivores …

Plant-based protein

Publicerat av

There are plenty of sources of plant-based protein. Whether you follow a vegan diet or not you might want to add more plant-based foods to your diet. Choosing a plant-based diet is not only beneficial to your health, but promote environmental sustainability. A typical question when moving towards a more plant-based diet is ”But where do I get my protein from?” High quality protein foods are essential for a healthy and balanced diet. However, there is a common misunderstanding that people following a plant-based diet are unable to consume enough protein. (Harvard Health Publishing; Healthy Eating Plate)   What is protein? Protein is made up of amino acids that our bodies use in almost every internal process we have. The primary function of protein is growth and repair of tissues and cells. Protein also has a transport function (act as a carrier for other nutrients), hormonal function (e.g. insulin), immune function (antibodies fight illness), buffering function (maintain PH balance of the blood) and enzymatic function (all enzymes are proteins). Essential amino acids: These are the amino acids …

Dear December…

Publicerat av

… You are like the finest piece of chocolate. That one piece we save for last. “Nature in its purest form, only exists. She observes our every move. Shocked by our consciousness, and how it simply does not notice all of the magic it has been given.”   December is for joy. Believing in miracles. Warm-hearted smiles and music filled with heartbeats and pure passion. December is for snowflakes dancing outside our window, making every hour irresistible. Gifts wrapped up in affection, kindness and hope. It is December, you can wish for anything. Any. Thing. ​ What will you wish for? This December is all about awareness. It is about love. It is about winter wonderland, Santa Claus and all his reindeer. December is for each and every one of us. It is for our beautiful planet, Mother Nature, and the precious time we get to spend amongst her. Let us create magic, my dear friends. We owe it to her, and we owe it to ourselves. Dear December, I welcome you. I am love-struck …

What inspires me to live a healthy lifestyle?

Publicerat av

‘A healthy lifestyle not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood.’   What inspires me to live a healthy lifestyle? My first respons is life. The idea is to die young as late as possible. I want to be like my dad. He turned 78 this fall, and he’s in better shape than most 50-year-olds. ‘It’s the turmeric, Linda’  he said today. Turmeric might well be one of the reasons. It might also help that he’s active, usually eats healthy (meaning he enjoys his cinnamon buns from time to time) and he and mum have a rich social life. Enough of my dad. Besides life I’ve another reason why I always prioritize health. Positivity & Joy Being healthy helps me stay positive. Health is much more than what you’re eating and drinking. Health is also about what you’re thinking and saying. The older I get I’ve become to realise that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body (if not even more!) The past year I’ve been prioritising mindfulness, yoga …

My 5 favorite books at the moment

Publicerat av

‘A relaxed mind is a creative mind.’   This November (what’s left of it) and December you’ll most likely find me sitting on my sofa wrapped in three blankets with a book and a cup of tea. I’ve developed a newfound love for reading (*NERD*). And what better way to spend a cold winter’s evening than with a good book, while snow flakes dancing outside the window. All of these books are quite different to those I’ve read before, but I think it’s important to be open-minded and to explore new fields. At least then you’ll learn something new.   How Not To Die by Michael Greger This is a very comprehensive book about the foods that scientifically have been proven to prevent and reverse disease. Chapter by chapter Michael Greger explains each of the most common diseases such as heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes, and how we can prevent and reverse them by making the right dietary choices. Besides all the science-based information there are also concrete steps you …